×

Rush Limbaugh

For a better experience,
download and use our app!

The Rush Limbaugh Show Main Menu

Listen to it Button

RUSH: Well, I think we can say, ladies and gentlemen, that my New Year’s resolution to keep and adopt a lower profile is out the window. And a lot of people, a lot of you are writing me e-mails very scared, very concerned. And I truly appreciate it, warning me to be careful, that the president is targeting me now, and Fox News, the only remaining media opposition, apparently. I think, folks, the president, he’s just probably trying to goad me into saying something extreme, like that would ever happen.

I’m gonna tell you, folks, I am not paid enough. If Fox News and I are the only thing keeping the Republicans from caving to Barack Obama on every issue, I’m not paid enough. Here’s what happened. Obama told the New Republic — and I find it fascinating. There’s no audio of this, that I’ve seen. Now, there’s audio of the reporter, a guy named Chris Hughes, I believe, who’s the new owner of The New Republic, a liberal journal of opinion. He did an interview with Obama. Obama never says this stuff on tape. It’s always in print. They mighta taped the interview, but they haven’t released it. But Obama told the New Republic that Republicans “long for the days when they could socialize and introduce bipartisan legislation and feel productive.”

Why, of course they do. I have often maintained that Washington is a culture that, in addition to politics, is very social. It’s run by the Democrats, it’s run by the liberals, and when you’re there, you want to fit in. Everybody wants to be friends with everyone. Nobody wants to be an outcast. And, of course, it’s very seductive to be “in” socially, to be hip, to be accepted socially. That’s a huge carrot. That is a huge deal. And Obama is confirming it here. He told the New Republic that the Republicans “long for the days when they could socialize,” meaning with Democrats, “and introduce bipartisan legislation” with the Democrats “and feel productive,” which means feel like they matter; feel like their lives have meaning; feel like life is worth living; feel like they’re making a difference, yes. Exactly.

But they can’t do that anymore. They are not free. The Republicans are not free to pursue common ground. They are not free to socialize amicably and amiably with the Democrats. They’re not free to introduce bipartisan legislation to feel productive. They are not free to feel like life has meaning. They’re not free to feel like they’re making a difference, because if they do any of that, Obama said to the New Republic, they will be punished, the Republicans will be punished by Fox News or by me for working with a Democrat on a bill of common interests.

And so, you see, if it weren’t for me and Fox News, you’d see a lot more bipartisan legislation. You’d see a lot more socially acceptable and accepted Republicans. And you’d see a lot of happier Republicans. And you’d see a lot of Republicans who think their life is worth living. And you’d see a lot of Republicans who feel like they’re making a difference, if it weren’t for Fox News and me. That’s why I say, I mean, if it’s Fox News and me — your harmless, lovable, little fuzzball host — as the only things keeping the Republicans from finding meaning in life, by joining the Democrats, I’m not paid enough. I’m it. If I’m the last line, if I’m the bulwark.

I know what’s going on here. I know Obama. He’s trying to goad me into saying something extreme, like that would ever happen, so that he can kick off a new boycott or secondary boycott. Now, a lot of you have written since you heard about this, and you have told me that you think that talk like this from the president has a chilling effect on free speech and the freedom of the press. My friends, Obama would never do anything to try to limit Fox or me and my right to express myself. He’d never sick any of his minions on Fox on me. He’d never try to gin up phony boycotts. That would never happen. Only dictators like Hugo Chavez do things like that. The president wouldn’t do that. Not at all.

So in an interview with the New Republic, rather than be focused on the employment situation or the debt circumstance, or whatever other problems, the only big problems that Obama has are Fox News and me. We got a couple sound bites with Chris Hughes of The New Republic who actually did the interview, and he was asked about it. I think he was on ABC with Martha Raddatz yesterday.

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This